Steam-boiler furnace



' March 10. 1925.-

Y A 1,529,242 .'r. F. DOWNEY v STEAM BOILER FURNACE Filed Jan. 13, 1919" 2 Sheets-Sheet .1

Mai-ch 10, I925.

T. F. DOWNEY STEAM BOILER FURNACE Filed Jan. 13, 1919,

3 2 Sheets-9811c 2 V WW? m 5 w y @mmzenzm i Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

A a 1,529,242 .UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

THOMAS F. DOWNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES DONALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-BOILER FURNACE.

Application filed January 13, .1919. Serial No. 270,812.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. DOWNEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Boiler Furnaces, of which the following is a specifica-. time,-

This invention relates to the top wall or i niting arch of a steam boiler furnace, of the type consisting of tiles supported upon tubes, bars or the like.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a form of support for the tiles which shall be of such character as not to be liable to weaken or collapse when subjected to the intense heat of the furnace.

Another object of the invention is to make each: tile readily replaceable whenever necessary, without disturbing any of the adjacent tiles.

A further object is to provide means whereby, if a tile becomes cracked, the lower fragment of the tile shall remain suspended in place.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmental longitudinal sectional View of a furnace embodying the features of my invention, the view being taken in the plane of line 11 of Fig. 2, part of the side wall being omitted. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken in the plane of line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a fragmental sectional view taken in the plane of line 33 of Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a certain hanger comprised inthe construction. Fig. 5 is a fragmental View taken approximately in the plane of line 55 of Fig. 2. Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are isometric views of the different forms of tiles comprised in the arch. Fig. 10 is a view of a replacement tile. Fig. 11 (Sheet 1) illustrates an alternative construction.

In the embodiment herein shown of the invention, the furnace comprises the side walls 1 and the top wall or arch 2. The side walls may be of any suitable construction.

The tiles comprised in the arch 2 are supported upon a suitable number of horizontal steel beams 3. I have herein shown I-beams of standard form. Such beams are greatly to be preferred to tubes for various reasons. A comparatively large portion ofthe metal of a horizontally disposed tube is ineffective to resist a load imposed on the tube, and

therefore tubes of comparatively large diameter will not satisfactorily support the tiles comprised in a furnace arch especially When'the tubes are subject to considerable heat. An I-beam, on the contrary, when arranged with its principal web in a. vertical plane, is well adapted to carry a relatively large load. Moreover, I-beams of various dimensions are standard articles of commerce, and therefore obtainable without delay in all centers of industry.

' The ends of the beams 3 are embedded in the side walls 1, a bar preferably being placed underneath the ends of the beams within each sidewall. The beams are spaced apart at the desired distance in any suitable way, as by means of tie-rods 5.

For 'the sake of definiteness, the row of tiles shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 (the front or outer endof the furnace) will be termed the outer tiles, the other tiles being referred to accordingly; and the side of each tile which faces toward the outer enid of the furnace will be called the outer s1 e.

The arch comprises a. suitable number of rows of tiles, the tiles of the outer and the inner row being of special forms, and the tiles of the intermediate rows being of still another form. 6 is one of the tiles of the inner row of tiles. Said tile has a notch 7 in one side to receive the lower inner flange of the innermost beam 3. The tile 6 is held in place by means of a hanger 8 comprising a groove 9 which is adapted to embrace the upper flanges of the beam 3. The hanger 8 is placed upon the beam by sliding it over one end of the upper flanges of the beam. The hanger 8 further comprises a hook or lug 10 adapted to fit in a slot 11 in the tile 6. The outer surface of that portion of the tile 6 which extends below the beam 3 is inclined downwardly and inwardly as shown at 12.

Each of the tiles 13 of the intermediate rows is of the form shown in Fig. 6. The

.outer and'inner surfaces 14 and 15 of the ported in place by means of the flange that lies .in the slot 17 and by means of a keytile 18 which is adapted to lie in the recess 16 and be interposed between the wall 19 of said recess and the adjacent beam 3.

The outer row of tiles consists of tiles 20 such as the one shown in Fig. 8. Each tile 20 has an inclined inner side 21 to conform to the side 14 of the adjacent tile 13,,and a groove or slot 22 to receive the outer lower flange of the outermost beam 3. The front or outer side of the tile 20'may be perpendicular to the top andbottom sides of the tile or may be inclined at various angles.

To lock the tiles 20in place, there IS provided for each tile a projection 3 which may be a rivet set in the beam 3, the tiles 20 being grooved as at 20Fparallel with the slot 22 to permit the tiles to be slipped upon the end of the beam and thence sl1d along the beam to their proper positions. The inner vertical wall of the groove 20 bears against the projection 3 whereby the tile is held in place.

When subjected tothe intense heat of the furnace, the tiles may crack as indicated, for example, by the dotted line a in Fig. 6. I have provided means whereby, in case of such breakage, the lower fragment shall not drop upon the grate, but shall remain suspended in place and thus continue to function as a portion ofthe arch. This means comprises an inclined tongue and roove connection between ad'acent tiles. In one side of each tile 13 an 20 I form a groove 25 adapted to receive a rib 26 upon the adjacent side of the adjacent tile.

The tongues and grooves 25 and 26 prefsurfaces 14 and 15. Thesame'holds true of the outer tiles 20.

The inner tiles 6 also have interlocking tongues and grooves 27 and 28, respectively, these elements being so inclined with reference to the sides 12 as to serve to support a fragment of a tile. 1

If it becomes necessary to replace a tile 13, it is replaced with a tile 29 of the form shown in Fi .10. Said tile is like the tiles 13 except t at its upper outer corner is cut away as at 29 to clear the inner lower :fiange of the beam 3as the tile 29 is being slid upwardly intoplace. The tile 29 has no tongue and groove connection with adjacent tiles, and is secured in position by the replacement of key tile 18.

The spaces between the beams 3 constitute air assages, said passages communicating with passageways 30 formed in the side walls beneath the beams. The passa es 30, in turn, communicate with the space elow the grate by means of passages 31. The

spaces between the beams 3 may be covered in any suitable way, as, for example, by means of two metal plates 32, placed upon the beams with their edges separated sufficiently to form a central air inlet 33 (Fig. 5).

It sometimes happens that the key-tiles 18 do not fit closely between the beam and the walls 19, and that in consequence thereof the inner lower corners of the tiles 13 hang below their proper position. To obviate this, I may employ tiles 34 of the form shown in Fig. 11. The inner side of each tile 34 is angular so as to enter or lie in the correspondingly shaped outer side of the next adjacent tile. Said angular side may be described as consisting of a downwardly and inwardly inclined surface 35 which is continuous with a downwardly and out- Willdly inclined surface 36. 37 are the keyti es.

Itwill be seen that the surface 36 at the outer side of each tile 34 supports the lower e 37 should not fit its space of I-beams spaced apart and positioned with a upright webs, the surfaces of their lower flanges lying in the same plane, a row of tiles between every two adjacent beams, each tile of such row having a slot in one side to receive one of the lower flanges of one of the adjacent beams, and each tile of such row having a notch in its opposite side to clear one of the lower flanges on the other beam, and a key member lying in said notch between one wall of said notch and the ad jacent beam, the sides of each tile below the beams being parallel and arranged at an oblique angle with the plane of the lower surfaces of the beams.

2. A furnace arch comprising a plurality of I-beams s aced apart with the principal webs of the earns in vertical planes, a row each of said tiles having a slot to enga e the lower flange of one beam, and separab e means engaging the other beam for locking said tiles mplace.

'of tiles between every two adjacent beams,

8. A furnace arch having, in combination,- an I-beam, a tile having a slot to receive one of the lower flanges of said beam, said tile having a notch in its upper surface, and a hanger having a groove embracing the upper flanges of the beam and having a hook lying in said notch to support said tile.

4. A furnace arch having, in combination, a beam, a tile having a recess to receive a portion of said beam, said tile having a notch in its upper surface, and a hanger having a groove embracing the upper portion of the beam and having a hook. lying in said notch to support said tile.

5. A furnace arch comprising a plurality of' supportingniembers spaced apart and arranged with their lower surfaces in the same plane, a row of tiles between every two adjacent supporting members, .the portions of said tiles below the supporting members extending at an oblique angle with said plane of the supporting members, and a tongue-and-groove connection between adjacent tiles of each row, saidconnections extending at an angle different from the angle of inclinationof the tiles.

6. A furnace arch comprising a plurality of supporting members spaced apart, and tiles suspended from said members, certain of said tiles each having a groove in one side and a correspondingly shaped tongue on the opposite side to lie in the groove of the next adjacent tile, said groove and tongue being spaced from the edges of their respective sides and disposed in angular relation thereto.

In testimony whereof. I have hereunto set my hand.

' THOMAS F. DOWNEY. 

